circuit

ideas
120 January 2011 electroni cs for you www. e f y ma g . c o m
Raj K. GoRKhali
automatic spRinKleR
contRol system
S.C. DW
IVEDI
I
f you have an automatic sprinkler
control system, chances are that
you are currently using all of its
outputs controlling sprinklers. The
problem arises when you want to add
another sprinkler control solenoid
valve. Using this circuit, you can add
an expansion module to the control-
ler without upgrading the controller
or running new wiring. The circuit is
ftted in place of an existing solenoid
and allows the controller to switch
on two valves (hence two sprinklers)
instead of one.
Designed for use with standard
24V AC controller systems, the circuit
uses the 24V output to power a timer
which activates one of the valves for,
say, 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, the
circuit switches this valve off and the
other valve on. The second valve is
activated for the remainder of time that
the controller is programmed to give
for that station.
The 24V AC from the controller is
half-wave-rectifed by diode D1 and
fltered by capacitors C1 and C2. The
rectifed DC is fed to the timer circuit
through resistor R1 and zener diode
ZD1 to produce 12 volts to enable the
timer circuit.
IC 555 (IC1) is wired as an astable
mutivibrator producing about 7Hz
pulses. You can change this frequency
by changing the values of timing com-
ponents R2, R3 and C4. The output
of IC1 is fed to clock pin 10 of IC2.
The 7Hz frequency is further divided
by IC2, which is a 14-stage binary
counter.
IC2 is reset through capacitor C6
and resistor R4 when power switch
S1 is closed. Output pin 3 of IC1 goes
low when it resets. Counter IC2 is then
clocked at 7 Hz, with its fnal output
(Q14) going high after 20 minutes.
This high output of IC2 activates the
solenoid valves via optocoupled triacs
built around IC3 and IC4.
Working of the circuit is simple.
When you power-on the circuit using
switch S1, IC1 is enabled and IC2 re-
sets. Q14 of IC2 remains low, making
transistor T1 cut-off. Transistor T2
conducts to forward-bias the internal
LED of optocoupler IC3. Triac1 is
controlled through IC3, which pro-
vides gate current through resistor
R12 to turn it on. As a result, solenoid
valve-1 activates to provide path for
water to fow.
After 20 minutes, Q14 of IC2 goes
high, making transistor T1 conduct.
Transistor T2 cuts off and the internal
LED of optocoupler IC4 is forward-bi-
ased. Triac2 is controlled through IC4,
which provides gate current through
resistor R9 to turn it on. As a result,
solenoid valve-2 activates to give path
for water fow.
Timer IC1 is disabled as soon as
the output of IC2 goes high, making its
reset pin 4 low to stop clocking to IC2
and so its output remains high. Triac2
has a snubber circuit built around R10
and C6. Triac1 too has a snubber circuit
built around R13 and C7. The snubber
circuit is used to suppress any voltage
spike produced by switching the sole-
noid valve coils.
Assemble the circuit on a general-
circuit
ideas
electroni cs for you January 2011 121 www. e f y ma g . c o m
purpose PCB and house in a water-
proof plastic box with an outlet hole
cut in it for the wiring. Seal the wiring
hole and box lid with a generous ap-
plication of silicon sealant.
Before installing the circuit in the
sprinkler control system, test it by
providing 24V AC as the input and
using suitable light bulbs as loads on
the output.
Once the timer is ready for instal-
lation, remove one control valve from
the controller and replace it with 24V
AC input of this circuit (terminals A
and B in the circuit diagram). Con-
nect the ground terminal of the circuit
to the solenoid valve as shown in the
circuit.
The timer is set here such that
valve 1 remains open for 20 minutes
and after 20 minutes, valve 1 closes
and valve 2 opens for the following 20
minutes. Valve 2 remains open until
switch S1 is closed.